Buying Guides

brass office accessories

Buying Guides

brass office accessories

If you're looking to give your
office a sense of authority, add a few choice brass accessories – the sophistication level will skyrocket! Here are a few of my favourite decorative items for the desk top in the finish.
Geo Brass bookends, $49 per pair, West Elm. Keep your books in place with these geometric bookends, which subtly reference the shape of a horse.
Bestiary pencil holder, $18 US, Anthropologie. There's something so old-worldly elegant about a footed vessel. This little beast is big enough to keep all your pens, pencils and highlighters corralled.
Capiz magnifying glass, $20, Indigo. A thoughtfully placed magnifying glass can really elevate the look of any work space – and it will come in handy when you've got fine print to read.
Lucent Brass index clips, $24 US, Anthropologie. Keep all your files in order with sweet little Deco-style index clips.
Torpedo task lamp, $199 US, Restoration Hardware. Illuminate the task at hand with an adjustable 20th-century inspired lamp in an aged brass tone.
Do you have a go-to shop for brass-cessories? Leave a comment below.

8 home office essentials every #GirlBoss needs

Office

8 home office essentials every #GirlBoss needs

Boost your productivity while working from home with these inspiring office essentials.

If you work from home, carving out a quiet space to concentrate is important. But this space doesn’t need to simply be functional. It should also be inspiring and motivating. It should encourage you to do your best work. How? We’ve rounded up a selection of home office essentials that will help to spark your creativity!

Photo Gallery

8 home office essentials every #GirlBoss needs

1 Good Things Come to Those Who Hustle print

Need a few words of encouragement to get you through the work day? When you’re running low on motivation, simply remind yourself that ‘Good Things Come to Those Who Hustle’. This charming print will not only look great hanging on the wall of your home office but it’ll give you that extra incentive to get stuff done. Best of all, this print is an instant download so why not download and print it right now? Good Things Come to Those Who Hustle Print, Purposeful Printables on Etsy, $2.59.

Image by: Style at Home
By: Natalie DiScala
Source: Etsy

8 home office essentials every #GirlBoss needs

2 Schumacher Birds and Butterflies wallpaper

Add a burst of colour and whimsy to your home office by wallpapering a feature wall using Schumacher’s ‘Birds and Butterflies’ wallpaper. This popular pattern is a revival from a 1960s pattern in the company’s archives. Brought back to life for a modern era, this wallpaper will inspire your own flights of fancy as you work. Schumacher Birds and Butterflies Wallpaper, Schumacher, see website for details.

Image by: Style at Home
By: Natalie DiScala
Source: Schumacher

8 home office essentials every #GirlBoss needs

3 Motivational wall decal

If wallpaper is too permanent a choice, opt for something temporary like a wall decal. This motivational wall decal is just the thing to inspire you in your creative pursuits. Easy to apply and easy to remove without leaving damage to your walls, this wall decal comes in 40 different colour options. Motivational Wall Decal, TweetHeart Wall Art on Etsy, $18.21.

Image by: Style at Home
By: Natalie DiScala
Source: Etsy

8 home office essentials every #GirlBoss needs

4 Metal photo clip string set

Bring your Pinterest boards to life with this metal photo clip string set. Featuring 12 photo clips on a five-foot string, this set will help you keep all those tear sheets and inspired ideas front and centre in your home office, instead of buried under a pile on your desk! Metal Photo Clip String Set, Urban Outfitters, $14.

Image by: Style at Home
By: Natalie DiScala
Source: Urban Outfitters

8 home office essentials every #GirlBoss needs

5 Animal Kingdom colouring book and coloured pencils

It’s not uncommon to hit a wall during a long work day. When you need a break to get your creative juices flowing, try colouring! Adult colouring books are all the rage these days and when you sit down with one, you’ll understand why. More than just a throwback to your childhood, this beautifully illustrated book is bound to unleash your own creativity. Animal Kingdom Colouring Book and Coloured Pencils, Indigo, $25.34.

Image by: Style at Home
By: Natalie DiScala
Source: Indigo

8 home office essentials every #GirlBoss needs

6 Reclaimed wood shelving and brackets

Hang sturdy shelves on your home office walls to display favourite items. Not only will they add visual interest to your space but they’ll provide room for photographs, books and other odds and ends that you draw inspiration from. These shelves, made from reclaimed pine, will look right at home in almost any space! Reclaimed Wood Shelving + Brackets, West Elm, starting at $69.99.

Image by: Style at Home
By: Natalie DiScala
Source: West Elm

8 home office essentials every #GirlBoss needs

7 Fresh flowers

Research indicates that fresh plants and flowers aren’t just pretty additions to your home. They are said to boost your mood, spark creativity, reduce stress and promote concentration. And on top of all that, they’ll add a beautiful touch to your workspace. Seems like there are plenty of reasons to add a vase of fresh blooms to your desk!

Image by: Style at Home
By: Natalie DiScala
Source: Tracey Ayton

8 home office essentials every #GirlBoss needs

8 Framed chalkboard

An oversized chalkboard is perfect for jotting down notes, to-do lists and ideas that come to you throughout the day. Even use it as a jumbo doodle pad! Just don’t ever let your best ideas slip away because you didn’t record them. Framed Chalkboard, Pottery Barn, $99.

Wine & Spirits

4 must-try classic cocktail recipes

Learn to make these tasty signature cocktails for your next holiday party.

You may not be a mixologist, but these signature drinks will have guests convinced you’ve been taking secret bartending lessons. Word to the wise: Leave the fancy bottle spins to the professionals.

1 The Welder

Ingredients

1 1/2 oz Forty Creek Premium Barrel Select Whisky

1/2 oz Aperol

1 oz lemon juice

1 oz chili syrup

1 chili pepper, for garnish

Directions

Pour the whisky, Aperol, lemon juice and chili syrup into an ice-filled cocktail shaker and shake well. Strain into an ice-filled lowball glass and top with the chili pepper.

2 Brandy Crusta

Ingredients

Freshly squeezed lemon juice

Granulated sugar, for garnish

2 oz Hennessy Very Special Cognac

Splash orange curaçao

Dash Angostura bitters

Peel of half a lemon, for garnish

Directions

Prepare a rock glass by moistening the rim with a touch of the lemon juice and dipping it in the sugar. Combine the cognac, curaçao, more lemon juice and the bitters in a shaker. Shake and strain into the glass. Add 1 ice cube and the lemon peel garnish.

House Tours

A trendy-meets-traditional family home designed for everyday life

When you’re a designer who specializes in hip eateries, it’s natural to be nervous about designing your first home, especially when it comes to the kitchen. “I definitely felt a lot of pressure because I’m known for my work in the restaurant business,” says Tanya Krpan, design director for the popular North American restaurant chain Earls Kitchen + Bar. Throw in a spouse, Jure, who happens to be a builder and a baby on the way and you’ve almost got the makings of a reality show. But this one has a happy ending: “I did most of the interior, and Jure handled the construction,” says Tanya. “We worked well together.”

That was four years ago. Now, Tanya and Jure have three children – Ivan, 3, Cruz, 2, and five-month-old Belle – to fill up the 3,500-square-foot home that was their first co-production. The five-bedroom, six-bathroom house in Richmond, B.C., represents the couple’s shared vision. “We wanted a clean aesthetic with classic elements,” says Tanya. Though this might sound like a contradiction in terms, the neutral walls and black casement windows provide a fresh counterpoint to the home’s traditional panelling and coffered ceilings.

Photo Gallery

House tour: A stylish family-friendly home designed for everyday life

Save on accessories

Homeowner Tanya Krpan (pictured here) saved on accessories by loading the family room sectional with an assortment of ready-made toss cushions.

Image by: Style at Home
By: Beth Hitchcock
Source: Janis Nicolay

House tour: A stylish family-friendly home designed for everyday life

A grand entryway

Tanya isn’t afraid to play with negative space, as seen in the home’s grand entryway. “Normally, you’d expect a mirror or big piece of art hanging above the wainscotting,” she says. Leaving the wall blank and layering small pieces on the console allows the millwork to shine.

Image by: Style at Home
By: Beth Hitchcock
Source: Janis Nicolay

House tour: A stylish family-friendly home designed for everyday life

Create a contrast

Black casement windows and decorative accents create contrast in the neutral space. Tanya scored the vintage coffee table when her office was being redecorated.

Image by: Style at Home
By: Beth Hitchcock
Source: Janis Nicolay

House tour: A stylish family-friendly home designed for everyday life

Creating a classic-cool mix

The family room’s classic-cool mix feels right for a young family.

Image by: Style at Home
By: Beth Hitchcock
Source: Janis Nicolay

House tour: A stylish family-friendly home designed for everyday life

Restaurant-style kitchen

The kitchen, of course, is the true star of the show. Tanya’s restaurant-design pedigree shines through in the room’s floor-to-ceiling tiles, mix of open and closed storage and high-end appliances. She opted for white Shaker-style cabinetry and warmed up the space with a walnut island and brass hardware statement lighting and fixtures.

Image by: Style at Home
By: Beth Hitchcock
Source: Janis Nicolay

House tour: A stylish family-friendly home designed for everyday life

Traditional and contemporary space

Another bistro-inspired touch was her choice of dark honed-limestone tiles for most of the main floor. “The tile grounds the space since there’s an abundance of white everywhere,” Tanya explains. “And it’s proven great for hiding dirt.”

Image by: Style at Home
By: Beth Hitchcock
Source: Janis Nicolay

House tour: A stylish family-friendly home designed for everyday life

Designed for everyday life

Everything in the Krpans’ home is designed for everyday life and entertaining, from the large sectional in the family room to the round tables in the dining room and the kitchen’s eat-in area. “It’s more social to sit at a round table,” says Tanya. “You see everyone’s faces.”

Image by: Style at Home
By: Beth Hitchcock
Source: Janis Nicolay

House tour: A stylish family-friendly home designed for everyday life

Gorgeous, white display

Cabinets with glass doors allow Tanya to display her favourite serving pieces and special glassware. She had the back of the kitchen cabinets tiled to highlight this focal point of the kitchen.

Image by: Style at Home
By: Beth Hitchcock
Source: Janis Nicolay

House tour: A stylish family-friendly home designed for everyday life

A family affair

Tanya and Jure – with their sons, Ivan, 3, and Cruz, 2 – have recently welcomed a baby girl named Belle.

Image by: Style at Home
By: Beth Hitchcock
Source: Janis Nicolay

House tour: A stylish family-friendly home designed for everyday life

Brightening up the space

The living room’s crisp white, grey and black scheme gets an energy boost from fresh greenery, pops of pink and plenty of pattern – check out the Moroccan-style rug, the ikat-print and chevron-patterned toss cushions and the graphic stool fabric.

Image by: Style at Home
By: Beth Hitchcock
Source: Janis Nicolay

House tour: A stylish family-friendly home designed for everyday life

Feminine accessories on a budget

To offset the costs of the more expensive permanent elements, Tanya was meticulous with her decorating budget. She incorporated secondhand pieces, such as the family room coffee table, and sourced inexpensive art for the living room mantel. Affordable colourful accessories add youthful edginess to the living spaces. “I love the femininity that the splashes of pink add to the living room and family room,” she says. “Plus, by the time I got to the decorating, I was living with three boys!”

Image by: Style at Home
By: Beth Hitchcock
Source: Janis Nicolay

House tour: A stylish family-friendly home designed for everyday life

Mixing styles

In the dining room, Tanya likes the juxtaposition of the modern Sputnik-inspired chandelier with the traditional coffered ceiling. The artwork was a DIY project Tanya and Jure painted together on her 30th birthday.

Image by: Style at Home
By: Beth Hitchcock
Source: Janis Nicolay

House tour: A stylish family-friendly home designed for everyday life

Planning ahead

Though this house has been well loved for years, there’s a sequel in the works: Tanya and Jure are in the process of building a new home. “We’ll keep some of the same elements but go a little more modern in the kitchen,” says Tanya. We’ll definitely stay tuned.

Tips & Tricks

9 fun and stress-free holiday decorating tips

The holiday hustle can make the season seem daunting. The Moody family has some tips on how to make it exciting once again.

When November hits, the pressure is on for any busy family. The real challenge, however, is keeping the holidays as fun and stress-free as possible. Despite hectic careers, hockey tournaments, theatre performances and family gatherings, Surrey, B.C., designer Lisa Moody of Grapevine Designs tackles this feat with panache, along with her husband, Ron, and their kids, Svea, 14, Eston, 12, and Eli, 9. Here, we get a glimpse into their stylish 6,900 sq. ft. home, plus a few of the festive traditions that make Christmas especially merry for the Moody clan.

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9 fun and stress-free holiday decorating tips

DIY garland

Homeowner and designer Lisa Moody made this advent calendar garland 10 years ago by combining her kids’ stray socks with some Christmas-themed ones bought on sale after the holidays.

Image by: Style at Home
By: Jennifer Hughes
Source: Janis Nicolay

9 fun and stress-free holiday decorating tips

Trimming the tree

“There will be a day when I’ll have a formal Christmas tree,” says Lisa with a laugh. But when three kids are contributing to the scheme, bright, fun colours and childhood mementoes reign for now.

Image by: Style at Home
By: Jennifer Hughes
Source: Janis Nicolay

9 fun and stress-free holiday decorating tips

Family-friendly decorations

“We decorate our faux tree at the end of November. It’s nice to get the decorating done early so we can enjoy the season longer.”

Image by: Style at Home
By: Jennifer Hughes
Source: Janis Nicolay

9 fun and stress-free holiday decorating tips

Family gathering spot

The kids (from left), Svea, Eli and Eston, hang out with Lisa (far right) and enjoy Christmas treats in the dining area. The simple modern table and chairs are durable, prac­tical choices for family mealtime.

Image by: Style at Home
By: Jennifer Hughes
Source: Janis Nicolay

9 fun and stress-free holiday decorating tips

Creative wrapping

Lisa packages presents using plain white kraft paper jazzed up with colourful and patterned ribbons as well as left­ over scraps of holiday gift wrap.

Image by: Style at Home
By: Jennifer Hughes
Source: Janis Nicolay

9 fun and stress-free holiday decorating tips

Elf on the Shelf

The fireplace, which has a soaring marble-clad surround, is a focal point for the family during the holidays. Can you spot the Elf on the Shelf? It sits in one of the the built-in maple cubbies and is the origin of many hilarious holiday shenanigans.

Image by: Style at Home
By: Jennifer Hughes
Source: Janis Nicolay

9 fun and stress-free holiday decorating tips

Holiday hub

The Moody home is the place for family parties during the holidays, and the island in the kitchen, with its yellow wooden stools, is where everyone gathers.

Image by: Style at Home
By: Jennifer Hughes
Source: Janis Nicolay

9 fun and stress-free holiday decorating tips

Casual night in

“When a big dinner party seems too overwhelming, we’ll have friends over for cocktails and snacks by the fire.”

Image by: Style at Home
By: Jennifer Hughes
Source: Janis Nicolay

9 fun and stress-free holiday decorating tips

Easiest kids' party ever

Lisa hosts a Christmas party for the kids and their friends. This year, they’re decorating gingerbread cookies and enjoying hot chocolate in festive mugs with marshmallows, candy canes and chocolate chips.